July 2006 “Open for business” — business climate complemented The Dawson Creek Community Profile & Investment Guide and In the News are These are the signs which by a skilled labour force and produced by: welcome people to Dawson training opportunities make the Dawson Creek Catholic Social Services Creek. The pro-active City an ideal location for your 1209-105 Avenue leadership of Mayor Calvin Kruk business. Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2L8 and City Council working in The Peace, with Dawson Photo Credits: conjunction with the Chamber of Creek at the centre of it all, C. Anderson, New Harvest Media Commerce and the community, shows plenty of opportunities for D. Pettit, Peace Photographics E. Mayoh has shown proven growth in the growth in the production of a economic sector and balance in myriad of quality products at Cover Design: RG Strategies the quality of life for residents relatively low costs. “Branding and their families. The long-term the Peace” is an innovative The Dawson Creek Community Profile & Investment Guide and In the News are filled goal of the City is to be the project dedicated to developing with information and statistical data. Although business, service and and promoting a strategy that every effort was made in good faith to ensure the transportation centre for the encourages the marketing and accuracy of information contained herein, Dawson Creek Catholic Social Services accepts Peace Region. promotion of Alberta and British no warranty nor accepts liability from any Dawson Creek’s progressive Columbia Peace River products. incorrect, incomplete or misleading information or its improper use. For more information, leadership, comparatively low please contact The City of Dawson Creek at property costs and positive 250-784-3600. Dawson Creek Catholic Social Services January 2006 Additional information may be obtained from the City of Dawson Creek’s website www.dawsoncreek.ca Contents EMPLOYMENT - 5 - ENERGY - 13 - Northeastern BC Unemployment Rates Oil & Gas Sale Northeast BC Economy Number of Wells Drilled in BC Apprenticeship Hours Active Oil Rigs BC Labour Market Wind Park Employment Shell Canada Most Productive Industries Open Call for Power Results Unemployment Rate Comparison Steeprock Gas Plant Nurses Oil & Gas Activity Wages Assessed Value Major Employers Drilling Forecast CONSTRUCTION - 8 - BC Economy South Peace Community Multiplex Solar Hot Water Systems Storage Building Addition Resources Dawson Hotel Demolition Power Plays Alarm Rings for Construction Industry ConocoPhillips Peace Canyon Dam Drilling Forecast DC Assisted & Independent Living Facility Well Count Hotels Duvernay Construction in Northern BC Talisman BC Building Permits Peace Energy Seniors Care Talisman Energy Building Permits Noel Tight Gas Project Home Sales Trade Agreement Oil & Gas Training Centre Summer Drilling Oil & Gas Sale History TOURISM - 24 - Chances Gaming Entertainment Alaska Highway Corridor Hotel Vacancies Tourism Sector Northern Tourism Promotion For more information about the City of Downtown Revitalization Dawson Creek, its inhabitants, lifestyle Tourism Development Plan and businesses, please contact: Stay & Play AGRICULTURE - 27 - Bull Sale Mayor Calvin Kruk Bull Sale Results City of Dawson Creek Poultry Processing P.O. Box 150 Legal Wrangle Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4G4 Phone: 250-784-3616 Fax: 250-782-3203 Email: [email protected] http://www.dawsoncreek.ca/ South Peace Community Multiplex Dawson Creek 3 Contents MINING - 28 - EDUCATION - 44 - Western Canadian Coal Corp Mobile Construction Training Mining Mergers Carpentry Training Coal/Biomass Power NLC Centre of Excellence Cline Mining Literacy Funding Coal Mines Premier’s Excellence Awards Mineral Exploration Pouce Coupe Elementary Pines to Mines Class Sizes Northern Energy & Mining SD 59 Hillsborough School District 59 Review FORESTRY - 32 - Parkhill Elementary Market-Based Timber Pricing Braille Teacher of the Year Softwood Lumber Dispute Fraser Institute Report Card Trucking Regulations Drilling Rig Technician Training TRANSPORTATION - 33 - Science World Boundary Road Solar Hot Water System Installer Air Traffic HUMAN SERVICES - 48 - Resource Roads NH Connections Bus Routes Medical Imaging Archiving Airport Funding RECREATION - 49 - Road Improvements Northern BC Winter Games Central Mountain Air Long Track Speedskating Prince Rupert Port Authority New Parks CITY NEWS - 36 - Bantam Football Provincial Funding Seals Swim Club Streetlight Replacement Junior Soccer Gas Tax Funds Junior Golf Property Assessments Try-A-Triathlon Fibre Optics LEISURE - 51 - Air Show Summer Cruise 2006 Winter Lights Dawson Creek Air Show PRRD Taxation Garden Tour Dawson Creek Watershed CULTURE - 52 - Solar Panels Bluegrass Greensmart Homes Rolla Hotel One Card Library Program Art Wall Branding the Peace Books in Bloom Business Incorporations Dionysus Theatre Company Community Cleanup Circus North Workshop South Peace District Crime Prevention Association Vancouver Opera Green Vehicles Energy Efficient Grants pRRDy Partner Environment Award Communities in Bloom Dawson Creek 4 Employment NORTHEASTERN BC UNEMPLOYMENT RATES Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2000 7.0 5.6 3.5 3.9 5.4 7.5 9.4 8.2 6.1 5.8 5.7 5.8 2001 4.7 —* 4.4 5.5 5.9 5.7 6.7 7.0 7.2 5.1 5.2 6.1 2002 8.7 8.1 8.4 7.7 10.1 11.6 11.7 9.2 7.7 8.1 9.3 9.3 2003 8.9 8.2 7.1 7.2 6.7 7.2 7.2 7.7 7.9 6.8 6.0 4.3 2004 4.4 4.2 4.6 5.0 6.3 8.3 9.0 8.0 6.3 4.7 —* —* 2005 4.9 4.5 5.0 4.1 5.4 5.2 4.9 4.2 4.4 4.4 —* —* 2006 —* —* —* —* —* 4.4 In June 2006, the unemployment rate in BC was 4.3% and 3.5% in Alberta. * The unemployment rate for Northeastern BC has been suppressed due to high sample variance. July 2006 will remain elevated through 2008. Meanwhile, after a NORTHEAST BC ECONOMY dip in 2003, production quantity is now moderately Employment in northern BC is forecast to rise at a rising. With increased volume and elevated prices, slightly better than compound annual growth rate growth in revenue from natural gas extraction in the (CAGR) of 2% through 2008, while the unemployment Northeast is likely to continue. rate is expected to decline to 6.6% of the labour force in Agriculture the same period. The adult population is forecast to Most of BC’s grain and oilseed crops are grown in resume growth by 2007 and a moderate rise in the the Peace River region. Farm cash receipts for these proportion of adults participating in the labour force is crops fell $2.4 million (-7%) in 2005, following a sharp anticipated through 2008. More than half the jobs rise in exports in 2004. In general, however, grain and created though 2008 are projected to be full-time. The oilseed receipts have been fairly steady over the past number of unemployed persons will remain near the nine years and are projected to remain at around $33 record low level reported in 2005. million annually through 2008. Employment growth through 2008 is likely to be Construction strongest in the Northeast region. The leading In the first four months of 2006, non-residential contributors will be construction, health care, permits are up 24% year-over-year. Recent gains are led professional, technical, transportation and storage by non-residential construction projects in the services. Northeast region, especially commercial buildings in or Weaker employment growth is seen in education, around Fort St John and Dawson Creek. agriculture, manufacturing, and public administration. Major non-residential building projects currently Mining and Related Manufacturing under construction include a community multiplex In the Northeast region, operating mines include facility in Dawson Creek. Willow Creek (coal) and Dillon (coal). Capital Heavy civil and industrial construction projects in expenditures on existing mines are on the rise, boosted northern BC currently total $20.2 billion, according to by construction of the Wolverine and Burnt River- the March 2006 Major Projects Inventory (MPI) from Brazion coal mines. Exploration expenditures have the Ministry of Economic Development. This is an soared from nearly nothing in 2003; proposed increase of $8.6 billion (74%) over the previous year. developments include several smaller coal mines. Major engineering projects currently under Oil and Gas construction include the $242 million Wolverine coal BC’s producing oil and gas fields are located in the mine near Tumbler Ridge and the Burnt River-Brazion Northeast region. coal mine south of Chetwynd. After trending upward for the past 15 years, the Major mines proposed for development through price of natural gas really began to soar in 2003, and 2008 include Five Cabin (coal), Lilyburt-Belcourt jumped approximately 50% in 2005. The US (coal), Trend (coal), and Lossan (coal). Department of Energy predicts the price of natural gas (Continued on page 6) Dawson Creek 5 (Continued from page 5) Construction workers also use these housing services. Service Industries Employment in transportation and storage Tourism room revenues in northern BC totaled industries has risen robustly in the Northeast. $146 million in 2005, up $19.3 million (15.2%) from Development of natural gas fields and coal mines 2004. fuelled healthy employment growth in rail This follows accelerating growth over the past transportation. three years, with the strongest performance occurring As the population of northern BC grows and ages, in the Northeast region. The bulk of room revenues are demand for health care is on the rise. from urban hotels and motels that cater primarily to Credit Union Central of BC, Economic Analysis of BC business travelers but also serve recreational tourists. January 2006 March 2006 APPRENTICESHIP HOURS BC LABOUR MARKET Apprentices undergoing training may see faster REGIONS AND CITIES completion and more accurate statements of progress Employment growth through 2007 will, as usual, through a new Industry Training Authority of British be concentrated mostly in the urban areas of the Columbia initiative.